Library Updates

“Build a Better World” by learning more about your community and its history with the help of the Indiana Room. Check out the display table in the Indiana Room in the Reference Department on the second floor of the Crown Point Library branch. Titled Building a City: The Architecture of Crown Point, it features historic architecture in Crown Point.

Take an I Spy a Hub City Building adventure game flyer with 9 close-up photos of architectural features located on businesses and buildings around the Square. Participants can fill out the game flyer for a chance to win 1 hour of research assistance on genealogy or other historical research. Correctly identify the places and turn the game flyer into the Reference Department. Winner will be randomly drawn on August 1st.

Learn more about the cemeteries in Center and Winfield Townships with a self-guided tour brochure Wandering with those Before Us: The Cemeteries of Center and Winfield Townships. There is also a mini-display with further reading about cemeteries in general and those on the tour, both available in the Indiana Room.

While visiting the Indiana Room, you could also explore the books, old newspapers, city directories, and other items in the room about Crown Point, Lake County, and Indiana.

Take your learning home and visit the Indiana Room’s online blog If Solon Could See Us Now?https://crownpointlibrary.org/research/indianaroom/if-solon-could-see-us-now/ Or, if you are on Twitter you can follow the Indiana Room @CPCL_INRoom for tweets on genealogy, preservation, and history. Any questions, please contact the Indiana Room genealogy@crownpointlibrary.org or 219-306-4593.

Libraries today are more about what they do, for and with library users, as opposed to what they have for patrons. Libraries aren’t only a place of quiet study, but also creative and engaging community centers where people can access resources that can transform their lives.
The Crown Point Community Library transforms the community in the following ways:
• Provides access to a variety of print and digital resources that can be accessed in person or online.
• Provides free WiFi access and computer access
• Provides early literacy storytime programming for children
• Provides information and resources to meet individualized needs
• Provides free high-quality programming for individuals of all ages
• Provides one-on-one technology classes and help sessions
• Provides James C. Conlon Community Literacy Center to facilitate adult literacy
• Provides access to information about Library resources at Outreach events in the community

April is National Poetry Appreciation Month! A display of poetry books can be found at the Crown Point Library in the Reference area (at the end of the biography section) and the Children’s Library. Check out a poetry book and add a little beauty in your life. If you are looking for any poetry books, they might be part of the display. Also, there are “poems in your pocket” for patrons to take if they are interested.

Every April the Academy of American Poets sponsors “Poem in Your Pocket Day” and encourages people to celebrate by selecting a poem, carrying it with them, and sharing it with others throughout the day.

As we head into Spring, I think it is time to highlight a few exciting changes at the Crown Point Community Library!

We have a new library catalog/computer system call Symphony! This new system is now able to send important notices via text messages and email for your convenience. Just let us know you wish to receive text or email notices.

Don’t remember if you read that book last month? You can now opt into saving your checkout history to see what you’ve checked out of the library in the past. Just let staff know you’d like to have this information saved.

Your PIN number is set to the last four digits of your primary phone number. Want a different number? No problem! You can change your PIN to any four digit number on our website, call the library, or visit any information desk to change it.

The James C. Colon Community Literacy Center is now open. Classes for high school equivalency and ESL are being held now. More information is available by calling 219-314-9904.

Meet M.O.E.! Our new library van is called M.O.E. – Mobile Outreach Express. You’ll see us around town at different events through the year, delivering library materials, and at the library.

The new Winfield Library is up and running to serve the community. Come and visit our new facility, pick out a book, sit in our new Teen Zone, or attend a program in our new meeting room!

These are just a few of the exciting changes at the library. Visit us soon to experience all the great events and resources we provide for our visitors.

Monday, April 10

Descendant Drop-In: The Genealogy Help Program, the new genealogy program from the Crown Point Community Library Indiana Room, is here to help with your genealogy questions and stumpers. Stop by the Indiana Room the second Monday of every month from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm for assistance. This is intended for quick questions and help; if you require additional services you may be asked to make an appointment.

On Monday, January 23 The James C. Conlon Community Literacy Center (CCLC) opened at 9:30 a.m. and the Center’s first student arrived at 9:35 a.m. It was a busy day as both the Crown Point Adult Learning Center’s High School Equivalency (HSE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs conducted classes.

The Library has partnered with the Crown Point Adult Learning center to provide a location for students that are seeking their HSE and learning English as a second language. The creation of the new location for the center was made possible by winning a grant from the Crown Point Community Foundation’s Big Idea grant project last summer.

The purpose of the CCLC is to provide life-changing programs for patrons needing help in developing their personal literacy skills. The room currently will be used by the Crown Point Adult Learning Center, but other literacy organizations will also be encouraged to use the room.

The CCLC is a direct extension of the Crown Point Community Library’s Mission Statement, “The Crown Point Community Library is a community center for lifelong discovery.”

The library re-purposed the Periodical Room for the James C. Conlon Community Literacy Center and utilized existing space on the 1st floor to create new seating areas for patrons, relocate collections and provide much needed space for specific collections for future growth.

The Big Idea grant also included other outreach initiatives. These initiatives are moving from the planning stages and are beginning to be implemented in ways that are more visible to all library staff and patrons. Here’s an overview of the new outreach initiatives:

Outreach to Literacy Organizations: The Crown Point Community Library partnered with the Friends of the Adult Learning Center to provide dedicated space for the Adult Learning Program.

Outreach to the Community and Underserved Populations-Mobile Library: The grant also provided funding for a utility van to enhance outreach library services for the Crown Point and Winfield locations. Another facet of the outreach service is to provide “Books in a Box” for day cares, senior centers and other facilities, making books and library resources available to all. As the outreach services continue to roll out, keep an eye out for the Library’s new van…it will be hard to miss!